Let us not get too excited about the UK government getting closer to Israel by signing a joint co-operation agreement for research (“Is Theresa May’s Britain friendlier to Israel?,” June 12).

The UK government has done zero – despite protestations from many parties including London’s mayor – to stop the Hezbollah flag being flown openly in the streets of London, never mind the UK’s continued opposition to the US recognition through President Donald Trump of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Yes, it is a major step that finally, after 70 years, a senior member of the UK royal family is to pay an official visit to Israel, but will that official visit include visiting the Old City of Jerusalem?
PETER SIMPSON
Jerusalem

Balad MKs do a disservice

In “Basic Law: The state of all the citizens” (June 11), Susan Hattis Rolef clearly demonstrates her vast knowledge of Knesset law. She concludes her articulate column by saying that Arab citizens of Israel expect and deserve more respect from the Jewish majority.

She also mentions the requirement for MKs to be faithful to the State of Israel. It is at this point I wonder where Rolef is living. Members of Balad misrepresent and attack the State of Israel both here and abroad at every opportunity. The real tragedy here is that Balad MKs do a terrible disservice not only to the country at large, but also to their loyal constituency. What Arab citizens of Israel need is representation that will improve their lives and not MKs that denigrate Israel at every turn.

One has to wonder why the writer conveniently omits this while at the same time calling for more respect of our Arab citizenry.
MATTIAS ROTENBERG
Petah Tikva

Argentina, politics and sports

It is refreshing and edifying that former up-front New York mayor and Trump adviser Rudi Giuliani castigated the Argentinians that shirked a friendly football exhibition match with Israel prior to the epic Russian World Cup. They were scared off by a corrupt tin-pot terrorist organization (“Giuliani to ‘Post’: PA a ‘renegade group’ of ‘terrorists and thieves,’” June 8) that has infiltrated FIFA football led by a Palestinian thug. It highlights the Argentine psyche that lacks courage and guts. Argentina could have learned a lot from Israel – not only about football but also about warfare, politics, their failed economy and past brutal dictators, instead of kowtowing to their idol Messi and many anti-Israel dissidents.

As the keynote speaker to a significant One Family Organization event to support families that have suffered traumatically by terrorist attacks, Giuliani, to his credit, portrayed the Palestinian Authority for what they are. He could have added a call for an Argentine apology and restitution for the 85 dead and many hundreds injured as a result of the bombing of the Buenos Aires Jewish Community Center.

JACK DAVIS
Jerusalem

Palestinian soccer teams with names like Martyr Abu Jihad team (named after a Fatah founder responsible for the deaths of 125 Israelis) and the Martyr Khaled Nazzal team (dubbed after the former secretary of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which orchestrated the Ma’alot massacre in May 1974 in which 22 schoolchildren and five adults were killed) don’t seem to pose a problem for the world. Neither does the idea of naming sporting events after terrorists, for example the Prince of Martyrs Abu Jihad Futsal indoor football tournament.

Yet in the face of intense Palestinian pressure, Argentina pulled out of a soccer match against Israel, demonstrating that it has no problem with the Palestinian use of sport to glorify terrorism instead promoting sport as bridge to peace.

A friend suggested another explanation. Perhaps Argentina still holds a grudge because Israel captured its finest citizen, Adolf Eichmann.

JULIA LUTCH
Davis, CA

Hijacking women’s rights

I was pleased to read that Jewish groups in Australia were able to get Tamika Mallory dropped from an event due to her remarks against Israel and her support for Farrakhan (“Tamika Mallory dropped from Australian event over anti-Israel remarks,” June 6)
It is a shame that anti-Israel advocates such as Mallory and Linda Sarsour have hijacked the women’s rights movement. It is so clear that their agenda is to broadcast anti-Israel views rather than sincerely fight for women’s rights.

Many Jews and other supporters of Israel probably don’t feel comfortable with the views espoused by “womens rights” advocates. Mallory calls ADL a group constantly attacking black people and Linda Sarsour speaks out against Israeli soldiers defending the border from tens of thousands of Hamas supporters charging the border fence – calling them “unarmed protesters” when videos clearly show them with rocks, firebombs, guns and trying to break down the fence.

It is a pity that American Jewish womens groups can’t loudly condemn the open hijacking of the women’s movement by people with their own agendas.
BEN KLEIN
New York

Bring them home already

Each time that I read articles like “This year in Jerusalem? The plight of the last Ethiopian Jews” (June 12) about the situation of the Ethiopian Jews who have been abandoned by the government of Israel, I experience extreme anger and frustration. On a recent visit to London, I spent some time in the Wiener Library, a Holocaust research center. Their current exhibition was on “Searching for Survivors” and its purpose was to trace survivors or their descendants so that families could be reunited. With the assistance of Yad Vashem, there is great rejoicing and sense of achievement when family members find each other, even 70 years later.

Yet here we have a living vibrant community, separated from their closest family members who have already made aliya to Israel. They are living in intolerable conditions in Ethiopia and because they were given hope of joining their loved ones, gave up jobs and homes and educational opportunities – and they are still waiting... and waiting. It is not the Ethiopian Government that is keeping them there as happened in the Soviet Union. It is our government that is deliberately delaying this aliya.

This community has kept the faith with Jewish traditions and rituals throughout the centuries. It is outrageous that they are waiting so long while the government makes flimsy excuses. That there is not a sufficient budget for this aliya is insulting to all of us who have supported and happily paid our taxes throughout the years to bring Jews from distressed countries to Israel. Even in the periods of extreme austerity, budget issues never prevented our people from coming home.

WENDY BLUMFIELD
Haifa

Famous words

Having read the written denial by Stephen Heinz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, of their involvement in the BDS movement or of financing Palestinian terrorism (“We don’t fund terrorism,” Letters, June 11), I can but recall the famous words of the lady who lived out her years in Tel Aviv – Miss Mandy Rice-Davies – who became notorious at the time of a great British scandal (the Profumo Affair).

Responding to testimony given by Lord Astor that he had not taken part in any sexual activities, she giggled, “Well he would say that, wouldn’t he?”

STANLEY COHEN
Jerusalem

Choosing sides

Jeremy Sharon’s article (“MKs blast IDF for failing to promote religious officer,” June 12) on Brig.-Gen. Winter, who had invoked God to exhort his soldiers to victory, recalls the comment by an aide to US president Abraham Lincoln at a critical juncture in the Civil War.

“Let us hope, Mr. President, that God is on our side.”

Lincoln famously responded, “The real question is whether we are on God’s side.”

JAC FRIEDGUT
Jerusalem

Caught in the act?

Several years ago, I saw the Israeli film The Band’s Visit. It was excellent. Now I understand that it has been made into a musical, which is also very good – and it has received 10 Tonys (“‘The Band’s Visit’ nabs 10 Tonys,” June 12).

So why does The Jerusalem Post say that this show “nabs” 10 Tonys?

“To nab” is slang for “to arrest” or “to catch someone in an act of wrong-doing.”

As far as I can tell, the show has done nothing wrong, but has provided evenings of pleasure for thousands of people. Please explain.